Family watches vehicle burn while waiting for firefighters

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A taxi belonging to a Palestinian family was set on fire early Monday morning in an apparent “price tag” attack by Jewish extremists. The incident occurred in Dahariya, an Arab village near Hebron.

The family, which lives near the entrance to the village, heard the sound of a vehicle leaving the area in the middle of the night and discovered that a taxi belonging to a family member had been set on fire. They were unable to douse the flames and watched as the vehicle was destroyed by the blaze.

One member of the family, Raed Abu Sandos, told Walla News that they attempted to contact the nearby Kiryat Arba fire department with no success, and the Palestinian fire department only came in the morning.

“We woke up in the night and saw the vehicle in flames,” Sandos said. “We have no idea who could have done this to us… what is this, a ‘price tag?'”

Hebrew graffiti found near the scene read in part “Price tag Sussiya,” a reference to Jewish West Bank settlement where three right-wing activists were recently arrested for throwing stones, and “Regards from Ettinger,” a reference to jailed settlement activist leader Meir Ettinger, grandson of the late influential far-right rabbi, activist and politician Meir Kahane.

“Price tag” is a vandalism strategy used by right-wing extremists against Palestinians or Palestinian property in retaliation for arrests or demolitions by Israeli security forces.

Also on Monday, the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court extended the remands of two young right-wing activists who are suspected of slashing the tires of a string of vehicles in the Jerusalem and Etzion bloc areas.